Najib Faces Ethnic Divide in Malaysia

5/6/2013 5:04AM

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak’s election win paves the way for his party to move forward with a series of ambitious spending plans. The WSJ's James Hookway explains how the prime minister’s biggest challenge may be bridging the divide between ethnic-Chinese and ethnic-Malay constituents.

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.

I ... the the ... I think ... the Prime minister not a drawback as one another ... and the country's hotly contested election ... I'm Deborah con joining me now is reporter James Hookway from all of them for ... a King James and not the end of the party the National Front ... coalition has one this'll X and what's the reaction down there in Malaysia ... it isn't just leaked out what's happening is that V the urban voters ... many of them are in the Chinese ... side is very strongly with the opposition ... and Lawsky's Najib through this though ... as the movie this apart from the the ethnic Malay heartland ... oh where did constituencies are a lot more generous in terms of the casing and peace ... this is pretty good ... and lifted that he needed to get through what was really quite a stiff challenge from ... opposition leader and my need for him ... ok and speaking of of why I'm there had been allegations of ... that's in this election aam a bomb the opposition of this election would not be free and fair ... aam idea monitors were present and any any word on on the fairness of the selection and whether or not the opposition is raising ... the issue ... I learned so ... receipt she quite pointedly last night saying that ... you need more or less the wrongs and that's that ... the election Commission which has caused an independent agency and largely being ... complicit in a crime as he described ... however it's still unclear ... how widespread ... the election irregularities actually wear ... and said Tuesday ay ay ay and civil society groups which have monitored ... and the votes in being ... able to clean and fair elections of the meeting to discuss ... oh what the evidence is and we expect to be ... hearing a bit more families today ... a can of accelerating growth and Malaysia was that he issued during this election campaign ... any indication of what some of the priorities of Prime Minister of nodded will be ... yet use EU minutes and is only generally last night but sounded in his long-term vision is to ... spend the money ... to help create an infrastructure in the lead since ... the country ... and how to middle income trap to move beyond ... its neighbourhood peers such as Thailand and cities in which its wealthier than in any way ... I don't really wants to catch up with the likes of class ... South Korea Thailand ... and Singapore ... any cunning affiliate just realized first world nation ... I mean you mentioned earlier James lifted by data that was quite present during this election between ... the ethnic Chinese minority and animal a community ... so at in Europe and I think I'm in Malaysia becoming more divided and ... how I'm how will cross the prime minister be able to get through on that this Parliament alot of is his key issues ... and things and things have the ... potential ... client polarize teardown essentially that ... there aren't any ... real real and makes strong and the Chinese have parliamentarians on the government side at this point ... so it's time ... to make Jeep is going to have the Chinese presence ... in this new government is going to have to play outside technocrats and ... here's the one is planning to do but ... this isn't quite as significant problem ... there's already quantify it and you know and and incomes and access to internet ... between urban elites in Watkins s and early areas and that ... and be the outcome of the vote ... as underscored that and it's ... actually my ... worse in the event the disparities between the two ... okay thanks Fran that's reporter James Hookway joining us from Kuala